Tremulant attachment for accordions



April 2, 1940. M. DE BELLIS TREMULANT ATTACHMENT FOR ACCORDIONS FiledJune 8, 1939 m l y gl Patented pr. 2, 1940 TREMULANT ATTACHMENT FORACCORDIONS Michele De Bellis, New York, N. Y. Application June s, 1939,serial No. 278,146

2 Claims.

This invention relates toa tremulant attachment for accordions whichwill automatically cause the accordion to sound with a tremulous tone.This tremulant operates without the use of rany electric current orelectric energy of any kind. l

It is anobject of the invention to provide an attachment of the abovementioned character which may be installed in the conventional accordionwithout material alterations and which embodies means for eliminatingthe tremulous eiect at the will of the operator.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment of theabove mentioned character which is simple and durable in construction,reliable and eiiicient in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of my invention is to so design such mechanism that thesame movement of the operating lever will both close and open the slide,

Still another object of my invention is to provide means for changingthe tonal harmony of an accordion which may be mounted in the interiorof the instrument without in any way interfering with its moving parts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame,

Figure 1 is a view in plan of a panel which is positioned between thebellows and treble compartment of an accordion, the improved tremulantattachment being applied thereto with portions in section;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line2-2 of Figure 1.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawing, I denotes a panel securedwithin the frame of an accordion and positioned between the bellows 2and the treble compartment of the accordion. The panel I is providedwith the longitudinally *5 aligned openings 3 with which are adapted toregister the openings 4 provided through the slide 5. This slide 5 issupported in a suitable guideway, generally indicated at 6, forreciprocating movement.

One end portion of this slide 5 is provided with a pin 1` which extendsoutwardly beyond the panel I through a suitably positioned elongatedopening 8. This pin 1 provides a means whereby the slide 5 may be movedendwise to bring the openings 4 thereof into or out of register with theopenings 3 of the panel I. y

The aligned openings 3 are positioned substantially central between theopenings 9 and I0 which provide communication with the tremolo tubes IIl and I2 respectively. These tubes II and I2 exltend inwardly of thebellows 2 and are provided in their sidewallswith the openings I4. Theopening I4 of the tube I I has associated therewith an outto the outerend portion of the tube I2 with the opposite end portion weighted, as atI9, to also cause the desired tonal sound.

Suitably anchored, as at 20, to the outer face of the panel I is askeleton frame or plate 2|. This frame or plate 2I is to one side of thealigned openings 3 and is provided at one end with the guide 22 for theendwise movable master lever 23. g5 This lever 23 is of desired lengthand has one end portion overlying the frame or plate 2| and saidoverlying portion is provided with the longitudinally disposed slot 24through which is directed a headed member 25 carried by the frame orplate 30* 2I. This headed member 25 coacts with said overlying endportion of the lever 23 to further maintain the same in desired positionand said headed member coacts with the opposite end portions of the slot24 whereby the extent of endwise 35 movement of the lever 23 is limitedin either direction.

Pivotally connected, as at 26, to the end portion of the frame or plate2| remote from the vguiding means 22 is an end portion of a rock arm 2l.4. The outer end portion of this arm 21 is provided with alongitudinally disposed open slot 28L in which is received a pin 29veccentrically carried by a wheel 30 suitably mounted, as at 3|, uponthe panel I for turning movement. 'I'his wheel 30 45 carries a secondeccentrically mounted pin 32, herein disclosed as spaced ninety degreesfrom the pin 29. This pin 32 is received within the longitudinallydirected open slot 33 in one end portion of a lever 34. This lever 34 ispivotally 50 mounted, as at 35, at a desired point intermediate its endsand the opposite end portion of this lever 34 overlies the slot 8 andsaid second end portion of the lever 34 is provided with alongitudinally disposed open slot 36 which receives the u outer endportion of the pin 1 hereinbefore referred to.

It is believed to be obvious that upon swinging movement of the arm 21the lever 34 will be rocked to endwise move the slide 5 in accordancewith the extent of rocking movement of the arm 21.

The pivoted end portion of the arm 21, as herein disclosed, is providedwith the oppositely disposed and laterally directed iingers 31 to theouter end portions of which are pivotally connected, as at 33, endportions of the elongated and substantially straight pawls 39. Thesepawls 39 terminate closely adjacent to the guiding means 22 and said endportions are constantly urged one toward the other by a retractilespring 40 secured to and interposed between the inner or pivoted endportions of the pawls 39. As illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing,this retractile spring 40 serves to maintain the pawls 39 in convergenceresulting from the Contact of the outer end portion of one of the pawls39 with the outer or second pawl. The free end portions of the pawls 39overlie the adjacent portion of the master lever i3 and said outer orfree end portions of the pawls 35 are maintained in close contact withsaid master lever 23 by the guide loop 4l secured to the frame or plate2l and straddling the adjacent portion of the master lever 23 and theouter or free extremities of the pawls 39.

The outer end portion of the master lever' 23 has operatively connectedtherewith, as at 42, an end portion of a rod 43 which is freely directedthrough a guide sleeve 44 suitably secured, as at 45, to the panel l.The outer end portion of this rod 43 is tide or coupled by a bracketplate 46 with the plunger 41 slidably disposed, as at 48, through thebellows ire-.me with the outer end portion of the plunger 41 carrying anoperating button 49.

The connection 42 between the rod 43 and the master lever 23 provides astop with which engages the spring arms 5S suitably anchored, as at 5l,to the panel i at opposite sides of the lever 23. These spring armsserve to constantly urge the lever 23 together with the rod 43 and theplunger 41 outwardly, the tension of these spring arms 59 beingincreased when said master lever 23 is forced inwardly as a result ofpressure upon the button 45.

The inner end portion of the master lever 23 closely adjacent to theslot 24 thereof is provided with an upstanding lug 52 for coaction withthe inwardly disposed blades 53 carried by the free end portions of thepawls 39.

In Figure l of the drawing the parts are shown in their relativepositions after the slide 5 has been moved to its open position and withthe lug 52 in position to contact with the outer end of the blade 53 ofthe lower pawl 39 as illustrated in Figure 2, so that upon pressing thebutton 49 inwardly the lug 52 will contact the outer end of the blade 53of this lower pawl 39 to swing the rock arm 21 in a direction wherebythe slide 5 is moved into closed position to permit the desiredtremulant eiect to be produced through the tubes Il and I2. During thismovement the pawls 39 are moved in opposite directions whereby therelation of the pawls 39, as illustrated in Figure 1, will be reversedand the lug 52 will be in position for contact with the outer end of theblade 53 of the second pawl 39 when pressure is again imposed upon thebutton 49 to move the slide 5 back to open position. After thisoperation the lever 23 will again be moved outwardly so that uponsuccessive inward movement thereof the slide will be caused to beshifted into closed position again. It -,will, therefore, be readilyunderstood that the tremulant effect may be made eiective ordiscontinued at the will of the player.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatcertain changes in the shape, size and arrangement of the parts may bemade without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope ofmy claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an accordion having a panel on the bellows frame at the keyboardside, tremolo tubes carried by the panel, said panel having openingstending exteriorly or" the accordion, and means carried by the panel andcoacting with the slide to alternately move the slide into open orclosed position upon operation of the plunger.

2. In an accordion having a panel separating the bellows from thekeyboard side of the accordion, said panel having a tremolo tube and anopening; a slide movable into open or closed position with respect tothe opening, a master lever, means for mounting said lever on the panelfor endwise movement, a plunger extending exteriorly of the accordionand operatively connected with the master lever for manually' movingsaid lever in one direction, automatic means for moving the lever in theopposite direction, a rock arm carried by the panel, means carried bythe panel coacting with the slide and with the rock arm for moving theslide into open position upon movement of the rock arm in one directionand for moving the slide into closed position upon movement of the rockarm in the

